BREVARD COUNTY – The League of Women Voters of the Space Coast (LWVSC) held a presentation titled Rockets Away! Risks and Rewards of Increased Launches on the Space Coast on Sept. 10, 2022 in the Canaveral City Park conference room at 7920 Orange Street, Cape Canaveral.
Guest speakers Dale Ketchum, Dr. Al Koller and Laurilee Thompson discuss the advantages and disadvantages increased rocket launches could pose to Brevard County’s environment, economy, infrastructure and more.
Dale Ketcham serves as Space Florida’s Vice President Government & External Relations. In this role, Ketcham utilizes existing and developing networks to advantage the State of Florida as the recognized leader in the exploration, national security and commercial space marketplace through innovation, collaboration, and influence. Dale spent 40 years at the Cape working with major contractors, 8(a)’s, the U.S. Congress, Enterprise Florida and the University of Central Florida.
Dr. Al Koller retired in 2013 as Principal Investigator for SpaceTEC, NSF’s National Center of Excellence for Aerospace Technical Education. For 21 years he was a senior administrator at Brevard Community College (now Eastern Florida State College) and for 32 years he was a NASA engineer/manager during Mercury, Apollo, Skylab, ASTP, and Space Shuttle. He earned a BS (1964) in Math and Physics, an MS (1967) in Systems Management and a DBA (1974) in Management and Quantitative Methods from Florida State University.
Laurilee Thompson is a fifth-generation Floridian with an unshakable commitment to the state’s natural resources, including the Indian River Lagoon. She is the co-owner of Dixie Crossroads in Titusville, which boasts international name recognition and a menu that features locally caught seafood. Laurilee is an avid naturalist with a pragmatic eye to the sustainable use of natural resources and an important advocate for the promotion, protection, and responsible use of our natural resources. She is the founder of the highly successful Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival and serves on numerous boards related to tourism, the environment and fishing.